Bab 100: I Just Want a Single Ending [100]
With Hitori's tutoring situation settled, Ikuyo glanced over at Yamada, who was hunched over her textbook with Nijika diligently helping her.
Nijika looked up and replied seriously, "She's… well, honestly, she's about the same as Hitori. It's going to take a lot of time to even get her to pass, so I'm actually reteaching her all the way from the basics, starting with middle school content."
"Huh?" Ikuyo blinked. "Wait a second… you're all in your second year of high school now. Why are you starting with middle school stuff?"
"Wait, if she doesn't even know the basics, how did she even pass the entrance exams?" Taki asked, raising a brow.
Ikuyo added, "Yeah, I mean, isn't your school supposed to be pretty tough to get into?"
Nijika gave Ryo a light poke on her cheek, watching her blank, drained expression. "Ryo's pretty clueless most of the time, but she did actually study hard before her exams."
Ikuyo gave her an unconvinced look. "I don't think I can accept that!"
She really admired Ryo; it was part of the reason she wanted to join Kessoku Band in the first place. But now… finding out that her idol struggled with basic material? The disillusionment was real.
Nijika explained, "Ryo's the type to cram all at once, and then forget everything as soon as it's over. If there's no reason to retain it, it just… vanishes. So, here we are, starting from scratch."
"What kind of strange setup is that? Is she, like, single-threaded or something?" Kamigawa couldn't resist joking.
"That's one way to put it," Nijika laughed.
"So that's Ryo's… 'unique setup,' huh?" Ikuyo sighed but managed to hold on to her idealized image of Ryo.
Well, if that's the case, Kamigawa thought, learning composition from her might have to wait a while.
Armed with this new revelation, he decided to push back his original plan. Trying to get Ryo to teach him composition at a time like this would just feel… counterproductive. And if nothing else, he wasn't heartless.
---
As time went by, Ryo eventually put down her pencil, slumping back against the couch. "I'm exhausted… isn't it time for a break?"
"No way! It's only been half an hour—not even the length of a regular class period! We're nowhere near break time," Nijika checked her watch and shot down Ryo's proposal without hesitation.
"Isn't that the whole point of a study session?" Ryo shot back. "To give everyone an excuse to get together and have a good time?"
"Don't disrespect the concept of study sessions like that!" Nijika rolled her eyes. "We're here to actually study, you know."
"Actually… I do get what Ryo means," Chihaya chimed in, nodding in agreement. The idea of a study session had sounded fun, but just sitting around working on assignments was turning out to be… well, kind of dull.
"Should we mix it up with an activity?" Soyo suggested, hoping to shift the mood a little.
After all, tutoring the ever-distracted, slightly lazy Raana was wearing her out. It was like trying to teach a cat.
Raana, of course, didn't join in. She simply stretched lazily, as if to underscore Soyo's observation.
"So, are we just talking? Or are we doing something specific?" Ikuyo asked, instantly perking up.
Nijika sighed, giving in. "Alright, fine, a little break to change things up can't hurt."
Meanwhile, Hitori sat anxiously, feeling like she'd been thrown off-course. Everything she'd mentally prepared for this study session had involved… well, studying. Now, with talk of activities, she had no idea what to expect.
"Anything's fine by me." Takamatsu shrugged.
And with that, Taki nodded along. If Takamatsu was okay with it, she wouldn't object either. Besides, Takamatsu's grades were decent enough, so there was no harm in a break.
[Casual Chat]
[Do an Activity]
Kamigawa, who had been observing quietly, noticed a choice box pop up. It didn't seem like it would have much of an impact either way; whether they chatted or played a game, nothing critical seemed to be at stake here.
"Let's do something," he said casually. "If we just sit around chatting, we might not find much to talk about."
[Stamina +9]
"That's exactly what I was thinking!" Ikuyo agreed energetically.
Taki raised a good point, "So, what should we do? There are ten of us here—what game can we all play together?"
"How about Old Maid?" Chihaya suggested. "Whoever loses has to do a truth-or-dare punishment."
Soyo gave her a skeptical look, "And how exactly would truth-or-dare work?"
Chihaya clarified, "The loser would first choose either 'truth' or 'dare,' then the person who finishes first in the game would decide the specific question or task. Of course, nothing too intense—let's let the loser set the limits."
"That sounds fair," Soyo nodded, relaxing a little now that her concerns were addressed.
Seeing no objections, everyone agreed to the game. After all, with Kamigawa being the only guy in the group, any 'punishment' was unlikely to cause too much embarrassment.
"I'll go grab the cards," Kamigawa offered, getting to his feet.
"Bring two decks," Chihaya suggested, "One won't last long with ten people."
"Got it."
While Kamigawa went to fetch the cards, the others began gathering their books off the table to make space for the game.
---
Kamigawa returned with two decks and pulled out three Joker cards, shuffling them back in before distributing the cards to everyone. And so, the first round of Old Maid began.
After the study session rearrangements, Kamigawa now had Ikuyo on his left and Hitori on his right.
Piece of cake, he thought as he quickly drew a card from Hitori and paired it with his hand, discarding the match onto the table. That left him with no cards at all.
"I'm… done," he said, setting down his final card.
Everyone stared at him, especially Taki, who was still holding onto a large handful. "Already?"
"Yup."
And now, Kamigawa sat back, looking forward to finding out who'd get the first round's 'punishment.'
"So, Taki lost, huh?"
Soyo gave Taki a sympathetic smile as she held up the Joker, the undeniable proof of her loss.
---
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